Gardens by the Bay

Beautiful. Hot. Sticky. We walked around the gardens by the bay for a few hours over the weekend. It was quite the place to be. These gardens are located in central south Singapore, in the Marina Bay area. These gardens were part of a city plan to make Singapore the "city in a garden".  The various gardens show the importance of plants to culture, economy, and biodiversity in Singapore and surrounding nations.

The highlight of the gardens for me was the grove of Supertrees; tree-like structures that range in height from 68-120 feet. These supertrees perform many essential functions for the gardens including planting and shading, and are equipped with environmental technology to harness soloar energy, which is used in many ways throughout the garden. The Supertrees have a walkway connecting them, and you get the most beautiful views while up there. Apparently they have a light show in the grove at night, which we will definitely have to go back for at some point. 

The landscaping is fantastic, and the presence of water everywhere makes these gardens so calming, even with all the crowds of people around. The zig-zagging rippling water on stairs is one of my favorite things; I think it's the sound of the bubbling water is what draws me in.

 There are beautiful trees with the most fantastic trunks, and with the supertrees in the background, it really makes for a nice pairing of old and new. All in all it was a day well spent with excellent company- our first visitor since moving over here! Thanks for coming with us, Sue. 

This cute smiling face will put anyone in a good mood, and he's just so photogenic. We got to see him on our way down the zig-zag waterway. Love this Buddha.

Shanthi 

MId Autumn Festival

October is here and things have been quite busy. I've decided to take a yoga teacher training course next month, so the books have been out as well as the yoga mat. We also said good bye to Max, who is now back at home with his family. After doing our Doggy Day Care for a few weeks, we're happy to have the ability to come and go when we please, though we do miss Max quite a lot! 

The past few weekends, we've enjoyed the Mid-Autumn festival here in Singapore. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a huge Chinese celebration, which takes place on the fifteenth day of the eighth Chinese lunar month (October 3 this year). We've been enjoying many of the festivities through most of September and this first week of October. There are lanterns up and down the river, at the Chinese gardens, and China town. Many of the lantern displays tell children's stories, fables, or are depictions of the animals representing the Chinese zodiac. 

Another perk of the Mid-Autumn festival are the moon cakes. We were lucky enough to try two kinds this year: red bean as well as pineapple. Both are traditional flavors, though they have recently been branching out to make many different varieties including mango, chocolate, and durian. I think the red bean cake won for me, but both were extremely sweet and delicious. Not sure the pictures do them justice, but you can get an idea.

The Festival shut down as of yesterday, and we are definitely excited for next year. Loving all the beautiful ways the city can be transformed, and the mixture of old and new!